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<br /> MondayfSeptemt>er 191t994/SlIr TrIbun. 50:
<br /> From the cover
<br /> EMPI/ He was ready for a new challenge
<br /> COlHia.wd fro.. pace J 0 with anotber Twin Cities Pli<:cr Pfizer doesn'l disdose Schneider's kids up and baYI: them go to
<br /> subsld~ry. American M.wical Sys-- f1Jl2Qcials. ~nd Laplewict. would say schooi.~Laptewlasa.id.
<br /> treprenellr.~ terns (AMS) of Minnetonka. And only that .scheider's revenues "ate A dstud
<br /> Pfizer setCCled AMS president ano:;l not quile as big .as Empj's." But goo ent
<br /> So before: the summer was over. CEO David Booth. ralher tban Kelly said xhncider's revltftues .ue Schooi was a place where Laptewia
<br /> Laptcwicz had found a new career as uPu:wicz to be ptesidenl aad CEO more than 160 miUion, and that SJO did quite wdl. He said tbat whue he
<br /> presidcru and CEO of Em pi, a fast. of tbe combined companies. now million 10 S3S million of the tOlal might have become a doctor, bis
<br /> growing medical finn that h.u lcnownasAMSISchncidcr(USA.j comei from it. start-up business. parents couJdn't afford to !lead him
<br /> dreams of bC1:oming much larger Within Sl;hneiderlha[ Laluewia pio-- to medical s<:hool. Undeterred, he
<br /> under a profeiSional manager such upcewicz gid he W8S offered a job neered, Thai busintss., i;alled (he used 5Cholan;hips and fellowships to
<br /> as Laptewicz, as chief opcralilll offic!!r of Ihe Stenl Division, makes a device that obtaia an undergraduate dqree iQ
<br /> combined sub5idiarie5, in essence is insert~ inside reopened uterics chemical engineering., and a ,gtadl&o;1
<br /> ~I've worked for Ptizer for over ::2 the No. 1 job under Booth. but co keep them {rom becoming ate degree In biochemical cegiDeer-,'
<br /> ycat5. and I never seriously thought declined because he: Jidn't like the dogged again. ing. He went to school a( lHght tOJ
<br /> about lenil1g, H L1ptewic2: said. BUl way the two wbsidiari~ were being Trying lodlversify JCcan'....18A.
<br /> after the reorganiution left him combmed. Laptewic2: said he also
<br /> workin, for ODe of his ~ers at an- wasn't intere:1led in other possible Maurer staned the company built Getting scientific college (legrcGt
<br /> otber Schneider subsidiary, tbe op. positioos in p(r.zer's pharm:lceutical on transcutaneous e1cctriCl!lI nerve "was a way for Ole to Jet 'SOmefbiQl
<br /> pottunity at Empi seemed well suit. ope-tation:s. in other parts of Ihe stimulaton; (TENS), which use elec- that was affiliated with medicme lit:
<br /> edto his taJentsand interests. COuntry. lrical CUlTeJl.t to fisht pain. He's medical innovation. "J .arewicz~ !
<br /> Nocomment been .tryinSlo divenify it, and one The biological slant 0 his stud'
<br /> "'And at this stage of life, 45, it was of iLS prime areas of expansion in. led him to a job, and a <:::areer, at
<br /> tin;e to rechallenge myself," hesaid. Pfizer spokeswoman. Denise Ulrich yQlyes lIsins Ihe same electrkal Pfwo.
<br /> E~~n before L1ptewicz. turned his said Ihe company had no comment, technology to treat human incofl1i-
<br /> and Booth didn't return a telephone nellce by exercisins. muscles that But it appears that the secret 10.
<br /> ey~ to the outside world, Maurer, can. rontr.ol the flowofurine. Laptewic:!:'s success. isn't just bis in-
<br /> the' only chairmall and CEO Empi tense interest in the biologiQ.\ 5(1.
<br /> hu had, spent months looking for a Asked why he didn't get the top job, Laptewicz said he can use the skills encl:s. {tOs that he's adept at lots 0
<br /> su~cssor. Laptewia: said he had made no se- he devewped in starting up the things. Jerry Scbulze. Pftzer's New
<br /> cut of the filC[ that he didn't likl: Schneider $lent operation to help Yon City-based vice president of
<br /> Si9ce Empi had r~ac.hl:d sales of the Dew corporate stylo. created by Empi's incolltinence blumess, (n strategic planning. and Lapt.e:wiC%.',
<br /> 566.4 mIllion in 199J, thl: com.pany tbe r<<JrgaDu.ation, which combined addition. he ba!l. Pfrzer nperience forttler boss, said Laptewict is ..&
<br /> . ~had come to a size where I was not areas of tbe ['NO wbsidiaries such as in sports medicine, whicb involves person of many interests. an intcr-
<br /> comfortable running it anymore. ~ administration. rcsean::h an4 devel. rehabililating muscles. He said that CIties kind of guy. If you spend as
<br /> Maurer said, ~I wanted to attract opment and service, and r=.uJted in maldles well ~th Empi's TENS de- eve.niag wilh him, you taft ofvan.
<br /> somebody who would be comfort- SS peopl.e, or :5 percent o(the com4 vices. wilich ate used wieldy in mll5- etyofsubjec:ts."
<br /> able running a $100 million com- bined companies. being laid off. cJerdlabilitatioa. ,
<br /> p;;my.H The combinl:d ClJrnpanies now have yptewicz's intetest, inchule man-- ~
<br /> Three presidents 1.092employces. "Its nice for me to have that kind of agemenl, beil'lS an inventor. bein~
<br /> a hook into the u:chnology and the professional musician and m . . ,
<br /> While Empi has had three presi- While the nCW' Slyle of tbe oombined marketplace [0 understand what's ke1ina. 4
<br /> dents over !he yean. Maurer was fIrms fit tbe corpora[e style of goincon ia that business, ~ Lapt:eMct:
<br /> I~ing for someone with mon: big- Pftzer's domill<llnt pharmaceuticals added. For example. despite his technical i
<br /> company e:tpenenc::e. The fonner business, Laptcwicz said it wasn't background. LaPtcwicz was II 5UQo :
<br /> presidents "weren't general opera- well-suited to the fast-moving medi- Laptewic%. said he worn bcc:ausc he cetiiuJ manager. Scbulu said. "He's'
<br /> tions people, and they'd never run cal dl:vice busil1CS$, which requires en;oysjt, very demanding. Some peopte.. Whil:: Laptewicz 'hu never be.
<br /> mUlufacturing. research and devel. :a ti&h.t1y focused business approach . , .moan about it, and some pcotMe
<br /> opmf:nl and illtemational sales op- to maintain close coota!;:t with chf: ~t lilce to come to work every day. like it. But from my perspective, he sa!CSlDan, he bas soaked 1J'p nae
<br /> era.tlOns, ~ Maurer said. LaptewlcZ medical community. It'sfun.lt'sDotajob.~ engendered a lot of loyally. There of sening to doctor$. At Si;hnm
<br /> Ita!:', was not a lot oftaJk behind his b:tct: he found himself in charge of sa
<br /> "I believe ill lhe conce!'t of a rOo His new prnition at Empi 3.1$0 aJ. andsniping.allidthat'sagoodslp. ft and marketing. even though hcJ.
<br /> But even if tbe Empl shoe fit cuscd business unit, and [ saw the 10~ him to stay in tbe Twin Cities, n.ot come up tbrou&h. tbe raub
<br /> Laprewiu, the new jOb was an odd focus going away,'" said Laptewicz. where he moved in 1990 when he Laptewicz the chemical enJineenlso .......
<br /> turnabout for an e"C1:utive who had wlto characterized himself u ~a lit. was sent to Schneider u vice pre$i_ is an inventor with bis name on. I "My peno~lity is very sales orie'
<br /> just presided over .Scheider's $66 He more of a maverick'" than vour dent and general manager of the eiaht U.S. pateJI.ts.. inclUding an arti- ed. TI;te way I bandled my jot.
<br /> million patent infringl:ment suit averageprtzere"ecutive. . Stent Division. AlthOlJ.IIh he gm'I' up ficial ligament. a bolle cement for
<br /> victory over SciMI:d Lifesystems of in MassacbusC'tls. and has traveled use ia replacing buman joints. and a Scbneider was,.. togetto"knowl;
<br /> M~pleGroveea.r1iertbisy.ear. Bu' KeUy. woo.. Minneapolis-. widely - be pve up downbill ski. breathins tube used duriot some customer on a rtnl:-hand basis. .{',
<br /> worked withjust about.all ouruj.
<br /> Both Schneider and SciMed make based medical product head-hunt- ing after an accidenl in Switzerland cypes of laser throat surgery tbat n:P5"here. and J would e"pec:t to~
<br /> ing firm Empi hired, ,:ollsider(:d - Laptewicz said he likes thl: Twin .can't bedamaged b~ lhelaser.
<br /> angioplasty cathelers that reopen Laptewicz to be exactly the kind 01 Cities and didn't want to leave to the same thiq at Empi," uPlI!-\IIIt<
<br /> clogged heart arteries in lieu of open uecutive hisclie:nt neeUed. IindallOlherjob. Musically inclined .....
<br /> hean surgery. In March, Schneider l..1.petwicz spent part of his 20s as a LaptewiCl; said his mult\p:llfil'ltee
<br /> won what analysts considered to be MI knew of him by reputation be- "r like the ambience and atmos- professional rhythm and blues
<br /> a key patent dispute that pu' cause of t.he job hI: did with phere and the people in the Twin drummer in a band of no particular make h}m hard (or oth~r peopje !
<br /> SciMed a[ a disadvantage. Schneider USA. He deserves the Ii- Cities. .tuad I like Middle America. I n:nown. He is teaching hi, childre.D ""-
<br /> on's share of the credit for turning like its values. I'm bringing up three how to play drums. and elcctmluc 4"m Dot your protocypicn an:
<br /> But two months after that victory. tbat busine5$around," K;:;IlYS.1id. kids. ages 10, II and l J, and the keyboards. Schulze- also credits
<br /> Pfizer cnQSl: to combine Scbneid(:r Twin Cities is a great place co bring Laptewicz with an incredible memo-- thing," he said. "You cu.'! put nl
<br /> ryfor t 9605 music trivia. in a boll. because thctl!:'s no box 'tho
<br /> l'mgoinsrofitlluo. ..
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